Menu

New spy shots of the production version of the FAW-Xiali T012, design-wise based on a the T012 concept car that debuted on the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. The T012 will be made by Tianjin-FAW-Xiali, an FAW subsidiary that also makes the Xiali N3, the Xiali N5 and the new Xiali N7.

Nameless sources working for Hongqi told Chinese media that the new Hongqi H7 will never be sold to private buyers. The sources say the H7 is destined only for sales to the government, local governments, and state owned enterprises. However, another source says the H7 will be launched on the private market in the second half of 2013.

The very first spy shots of the production version of the FAW-Xiali T012, design-wise based on a the T012 concept car that debuted on the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. Xiali didn’t change that much. Lights are bigger, grille slightly different, other bumpers, normal tires, and that’s about it.

The FAW-Xiali N7 has been launched on the China car market, price starts at 45.900 yuan and ends at 53.900 yuan. The Xiali N7 is the production version of the FAW R008 concept that debuted on the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. The funky lines of the N7 are a bold move for conservative FAW-Xiali where design is usually rather boring.

FAW has confirmed that the new Besturn X80 SUV will debut on the Shanghai Auto Show in April. The X80, the first SUV under the Besturn brand, will then be launched on the Chinese car market soon after the show. Price is expected to range from 120.000 yuan to 200.000 yuan.

The very first spy shots of a new FAW-Besturn MPV, Chinese media say it will be launched on the China auto market in 2015. The yet nameless MPV will be based on the Mazda 8 MPV that is made in China by the FAW-Mazda joint venture. All Besturn branded vehicles are based on Mazda’s.

The first batch of Hongqi H7 sedans has been delivered to the local government of Jilin Province, which bought 13 cars for its provincial-level officials. The Hongqi H7 is still not available on the normal Chinese car market. FAW, the owner of the Hongqi-brand, said 10 other government entities have ordered the H7, but FAW didn’t say how many cars were involved. Jilin is an easy first victory because FAW is based in the provincial capital Changchun.

New spy shots from the upcoming Hongqi L7 testing in China, and it seems there have been some new changes at the back. The production version was expected to debut on the Shanghai Auto Show in April but Chinese media now say it will be launched ‘later this year’. And things get even worse… The same media also say the Hongqi (Red Flag) L7 will only be available for the government procurement, with sales to private buyers starting as late as 2014.

A fine FAW-Besturn B50 sedan with Toyota badges, seen in the great country of Russia by reader Roman from faw-cars.ru, thank you for the pictures! Besturn started business in Russia last year and currently only sells the B50, the FAW V2 and V5 will become available in March. Read more »

We have seen the FAW-Besturn X80 SUV complete naked in China but testing seems not over yet. New spy shots show s sleek silver example and we get a better look inside. The FAW-Besturn X80 will debut on the Shanghai Auto Show in April and it will hit the China car market in the first half of this year. Price is expected to start around 130.000 yuan and end around 220.000 yuan. Read more »